Adapter for contact and contactless smart cards

ABSTRACT

A portable adapter for using a contact smart card with a contactless smart card reader and a contactless smart card with a contact smart card reader. The adaptor is provided with a casing that is configured to engage a contact smart card or a contactless smart card, and is provided with an exterior portion that physically cooperates via a contact pad with a contact smart card reader. The adapter is provided with an interface passing signals between a contactless smart card and a contact smart card reader, and an interface for passing signals between a contact smart card and a contactless smart card reader.

This invention relates generally to smart cards, and specifically to an adapter for converting a contact smart card to a contactless smart card and vice versa.

Smart cards, also referred to as chip cards or integrated circuit cards, are devices with an embedded integrated circuit (such as a microprocessor and/or memory) for use as storage of sensitive data or user authentication. Smart cards may comprise memory for storing financial or personal data, or private data such as private keys used in the S/MIME (Secured Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) encryption technique. Preferably, some of this data may be secured using a PIN (personal identification number) or a password as an access control measure. In order to access the protected data stored in the card's memory, a user must be validated by providing the correct PIN or password.

Typically, the smart card itself does not include a data entry device for direct entry of a PIN or password for the purpose of user authentication. The smart card is rather used in conjunction with a smart card reader that is in communication with an input device. When the smart card is in communication with the smart card reader, a PIN or password may be provided to the smart card by the user via the input device to the smart card reader. The smart card, upon receipt of the PIN or password, is then configured to take steps to verify the PIN or password and authenticate the user. A verification signal is then provided by the smart card to the smart card reader.

Smart cards are typically provided in standardized form factors, such as approximately credit-card sized form factors, for ease of handling by users. The smart card interfaces with the reader either via a physical contact pad on the exterior of the card, in the case of a contact smart card, or via an antenna embedded in the card which receives power from a radiofrequency (RF) field generated by the card reader, in the case of a contactless smart card. Most smart cards that are deployed operate either as a contact smart card or as a contactless smart card, and the readers that are deployed to be used with those cards are thus contact card readers or contactless card readers.

However, when an existing contact or contactless smart card reader installation is to be expanded or upgraded, the expansion or upgrade may require the use of smart card readers and/or smart cards that are intended to operate on a contactless or contact basis, respectively. It is not necessarily practical to replace contact or contactless smart card readers with readers capable of reading both contact and contactless smart cards, or to replace all users' smart cards with a contactless or contact smart card to function with the smart card readers installed in a given environment. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a system for allowing a contact smart card to be adapted for use with a contactless smart card reader, and for allowing a contactless smart card to be adapted for use with a contact smart card reader, without requiring the user to replace the original smart card or replacing or retrofitting an existing smart card reader.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with a preferred embodiment, a portable adapter is provided for using a contact smart card with a contactless smart card reader and a contactless smart card with a contact smart card reader, comprising a casing having an interior and an exterior, the interior of the casing being configured to removably engage a contact smart card or a contactless smart card, the exterior of the casing being configured to physically cooperate with a contact smart card reader, means adapted for interfacing a contactless smart card with a contact smart card reader, and means adapted for interfacing a contact smart card with a contactless smart card reader.

In a further aspect of the invention, the means adapted for interfacing a contactless smart card with a contact smart card reader comprises an external contact module for receiving and transmitting electrical signals from and to a contact smart card reader, the external contact module being disposed on the exterior of the casing such that the external contact module can be placed in physical contact with a contact pad on a contact smart card reader, and a transceiver in communication with the external contact module for converting electrical signals received by the external contact module to electromagnetic signals for reception by a contactless smart card removably engaged in the casing, and for converting received electromagnetic signals from the contactless smart card to electrical signals to be transmitted by the external contact module to the contact smart card reader.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In drawings which illustrate by way of example only a preferred embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a smart card adaptor.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a smart card adaptor and smart card.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the prior art, a typical smart card system comprises a smart card reader (not shown), which may be a contact reader or a contactless reader, which is operatively connected to an input device (not shown). As is well known in the art, a contact reader is provided with a contact pad and preferably a slot for receiving a smart card, such that when a contact smart card is inserted in the contact reader, a contact module provided on the contact smart card makes physical contact with the contact pad in the contact reader, by which means the reader can transmit power and instructions and receive data from the contact smart card. A contactless reader is provided with a transceiver, which comprises an antenna, a digital signal processor, and a radiofrequency circuit; the contactless reader transceiver generates an electromagnetic field, which is used to power a contactless smart card held within the proximity of the contactless reader, and the transceiver is capable of receiving data from the contactless smart card by detecting changes in the electromagnetic field induced by the contactless smart card. The reader and the input device may be contained in the same physical unit. If the reader and the input device are not integrated, then the input device may communicate with the smart card reader either by a direct wired connection, such as via USB (Universal Serial Bus) or by a wireless communication link in accordance with a standard such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.11a/b/g standard for wireless local area networks, Bluetooth®, Zigbee®, and the like, or future standards for wireless, preferably short-range, communication.

A preferred embodiment of a smart card adaptor 200 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the adaptor 200 is capable of receiving a smart card 100, which may be a prior art contact smart card or contactless smart card. Preferably, the smart card 100 is engaged with the adaptor 200 by means of a frictional contact or a spring-biased contact, so that a user can easily remove the smart card 100 from the adaptor 200 without the application of excessive force. If the smart card 100 is a contact smart card, it is preferably provided with a physical contact portion (not shown) in accordance with ISO/IEC 7816 published by the International Organization for Standardization, which contact portion would normally provide an interface with a prior art contact smart card reader for data communication between the card 100 and the reader, and further provides any necessary power to the card itself. If the smart card 100 is a contactless smart card (not shown), it preferably operates in accordance with ISO/IEC 10536, 14443, or 15693, which define standards for close-coupled, proximity, and vicinity smart cards, respectively. Contactless smart cards are not required to maintain physical contact with a contactless smart card reader in order to function, but rather communicate with the reader with an antenna and a radiofrequency interface, and are powered by an electromagnetic field generated at the reader. A typical form factor for the smart card 100 is the “credit card” type form factor, although the smart card 10 may be comprised in another form factor or device that provides the functionality for communication with a smart card reader, such as a SIM card.

The smart card adaptor 200 will be described first in relation to its use as an adaptor for converting a contactless smart card for use with a contact smart card reader. Referring to FIG. 1, in a preferred embodiment, the smart card adaptor 200 is provided with an external contact module 210 in communication with an optional processor 280, which in turn is in communication with a transceiver 230. The transceiver 230 may be in direct communication with the external contact module 210. The external contact module 210 is preferably similar to the contact modules known in the art and provided on contact smart cards, and is preferably provided with the same contacts (such as Vcc, reset, clock, ground, and input/output) that are defined by ISO 7816. As can be seen from FIG. 2, preferably the external contact module 210 is provided on an external portion 240 of the adaptor 200, the external portion 240 being sized to physically cooperate with a contact smart card reader, and the external contact module 210 being positioned to physically engage the contact pad of the contact smart card reader when the external contact module 210 is in physical cooperation with the reader. Most preferably, the adaptor 200 is sized to provide a portable means for carrying the smart card 100 without adding appreciable bulk or weight to the smart card 100.

Preferably, the transceiver 230 is configured to receive signals from the external contact module 210 when the adaptor is engaged with a contact smart card reader, and is receiving power and signals from the contact smart card reader via the external contact module 210. The transceiver 230 preferably comprises an oscillator or radiofrequency circuit, a digital signal processor, and an antenna. It will be appreciated that while the transceiver 230 is defined to include several components including an antenna, it would also be possible for transceiver 230 to use an external antenna such as antenna 250 for communications.

When the transceiver receives an initialization signal from the external contact module 210, the transceiver 230, powered by the contact card reader via the contact module 210, initializes a wireless protocol with a contactless smart card 100 inserted in the adaptor 200. As is known in the art in relation to contactless smart cards and contactless smart card readers, the transceiver 230 creates an electromagnetic field and transmits information to the smart card via the electromagnetic field; the contactless smart card 100 within the adaptor 200 is thus initialized via the electromagnetic field generated by the transceiver 230. The transceiver 230 receives information from the contactless smart card 100 by detecting changes in the electromagnetic field caused by the contactless smart card 100, for example in accordance with ISO 10536, 14443, or 15693, and converts the received data to a signal that is transmitted via the output contact of the external contact module 210 to the contact card reader in accordance with ISO 7816. The optional processor 280 may act as an interface between the external contact module 210 and the transceiver 230, converting the signals received from the external contact module 210 to a signal that can be processed by the transceiver 230 for conversion to an electromagnetic signal, and vice versa. The adaptor 200 thus acts as a “dumb” contactless card reader, which transmits instructions to and receives data from the contactless card 100 within the adaptor 200, and transmits data to and receives instructions from the contact card reader in physical cooperation with the adaptor 200.

When the smart card adaptor 200 is used as an adaptor for converting a contact smart card to a contactless smart card, a contact smart card 100 as known in the prior art is engaged in the adaptor 200. The contact pad provided on the contact smart card 100 is placed in physical contact with an internal contact module 270, shown in FIG. 1. The internal contact module 270 is connected to a radio frequency interface 260, which in turn is connected to an antenna 250. The antenna 250 is preferably formed of multiple turns of a conductive medium, such as wire or a conductive ink, embedded within the adaptor 200, similar to the configuration of the antenna in a contactless smart card.

When the smart card adaptor 200 is placed in the vicinity of a prior art contactless smart card reader, the electromagnetic field generated by the contactless smart card reader induces a current in the antenna 250 which is used to transmit signals to the internal contact module 270 via the RF interface 260. Optionally, the RF interface 260 and the optional processor 280 may be provided in the same integrated circuit, reducing the number of separate components in the adaptor 200. The internal contact module 270 then transmits the received signals to the contact smart card 100 via the contact pad on the contact smart card 100, again in accordance with techniques known in the art. The contact smart card 100 is thus powered through the internal contact module 270, which receives a current from the antenna 250 so long as the contact smart card 100 and the adaptor 200 are within the vicinity of a contactless smart card reader. The adaptor 200 thus operates as a “dumb” contact card reader, transmitting instructions to and receiving data from the contact smart card 100, and transmitting data to and receiving instructions from the contactless card reader.

Optionally, it may be necessary to include a signal booster, or voltage pump, to the internal contact module 270 to supply an amplified current to the contact card. As will be appreciated by the person skilled in the art, the necessity of including a signal booster, and the requisite level of amplification, is dependent upon the characteristics of a particular embodiment including: the power requirements of the contact smart card 100, the signal strength of the contactless smart card reader, the distance between the contactless smart card reader and the antenna 250, and the speed of data transmission.

A signal booster is generally not required for standard readers, as the reader is designed to provide sufficient power to activate the type of card with which the reader has been designed to operate. Since the present invention permits a card to operate with a reader for which it was not intended to operate, the power provided by the reader may not be sufficient for the requirements of the card. In such a situation, a signal booster may be provided that amplifies the signal to a card depending upon the requirements of that card type.

Various embodiments of the present invention having been thus described in detail by way of example, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variations and modifications may be made without departing from the invention. The invention includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by any one of the patent document or patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrights whatsoever. 

1. A method for communicating between a contact smart card and a contactless smart card reader, the method comprising: receiving, at a portable adaptor, an electrical signal from the contact smart card when the contact smart card is removably engaged with the portable adaptor, the portable adaptor comprising means adapted for interfacing a contactless smart card with a contact smart card reader and means adapted for interfacing the contact smart card with the contactless smart card reader; converting, by the portable adaptor, the electrical signal received from the contact smart card to an electromagnetic signal; and transmitting, to the contactless smart card reader, the electromagnetic signal.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising amplifying a level of the electrical signal received from the contact smart card prior to converting the electrical signal.
 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising amplifying a level of the electromagnetic signal to be transmitted to the contactless smart card reader prior to transmitting the electromagnetic signal to the contactless smart card reader.
 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, from the contactless smart card reader, a further electromagnetic signal; converting, by the portable adaptor, the further electromagnetic signal received from the contactless smart card reader to a further electrical signal; and transmitting, to the contact smart card, the further electrical signal.
 5. The method of claim 4, further comprising amplifying a level of the further electromagnetic signal received from the contactless smart card reader prior to converting the further electromagnetic signal.
 6. The method of claim 4, further comprising amplifying a level of the further electrical signal to be transmitted to the contact smart card prior to transmitting the further electrical signal to the contact smart card.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable adaptor further comprises a casing having an interior and an exterior, the interior of the casing being configured to removably engage the contact smart card or the contactless smart card, the exterior of the casing being configured to physically cooperate with the contact smart card reader.
 8. A method for communicating between a contactless smart card and a contact smart card reader, the method comprising: receiving, at a portable adaptor, an electromagnetic signal from the contactless smart card when the contactless smart card is removably engaged with the portable adaptor, the portable adaptor comprising means adapted for interfacing a contactless smart card with a contact smart card reader and means adapted for interfacing the contact smart card with the contactless smart card reader; converting, by the portable adaptor, the electromagnetic signal received from the contactless smart card to an electrical signal; and transmitting, to the contact smart card reader, the electrical signal.
 9. The method of claim 8, further comprising amplifying a level of the electromagnetic signal received from the contactless smart card prior to converting the electromagnetic signal.
 10. The method of claim 8, further comprising amplifying a level of the electrical signal to be transmitted to the contact smart card reader prior to transmitting the electrical signal to the contact smart card reader.
 11. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, from the contact smart card reader, a further electrical signal; converting, by the portable adaptor, the further electrical signal received from the contact smart card reader to a further electromagnetic signal; and transmitting, to the contactless smart card, the further electromagnetic signal.
 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising amplifying a level of the further electrical signal prior to converting the further electrical signal.
 13. The method of claim 11, further comprising amplifying a level of the further electromagnetic signal prior to transmitting the further electromagnetic signal to the contactless smart card.
 14. The method of claim 8, wherein the portable adaptor further comprises a casing having an interior and an exterior, the interior of the casing being configured to removably engage the contact smart card or the contactless smart card, the exterior of the casing being configured to physically cooperate with the contact smart card reader.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the exterior of the casing is engaged with the contact smart card reader during the act of transmitting.
 16. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for communicating between a contact smart card and a contactless smart card reader, the method comprising: receiving, at a portable adaptor, an electrical signal from the contact smart card when the contact smart card is removably engaged with the portable adaptor, the portable adaptor comprising means adapted for interfacing a contactless smart card with a contact smart card reader and means adapted for interfacing the contact smart card with the contactless smart card reader; converting, by the portable adaptor, the electrical signal received from the contact smart card to an electromagnetic signal; and transmitting, to the contactless smart card reader, the electromagnetic signal.
 17. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for communicating between a contactless smart card and a contact smart card reader, the method comprising: receiving, at a portable adaptor, an electromagnetic signal from the contactless smart card when the contactless smart card is removably engaged with the portable adaptor, the portable adaptor comprising means adapted for interfacing a contactless smart card with a contact smart card reader and means adapted for interfacing the contact smart card with the contactless smart card reader; converting, by the portable adaptor, the electromagnetic signal received from the contactless smart card to an electrical signal; and transmitting, to the contact smart card reader, the electrical signal.
 18. A portable adapter for using a contact smart card with a contactless smart card reader and for using a contactless smart card with a contact smart card reader, the portable adaptor comprising: means adapted for interfacing the contactless smart card with the contact smart card reader; and means adapted for interfacing the contact smart card with the contactless smart card reader.
 19. A system for communicating with a contact smart card, the system comprising: a contactless smart card reader; and a portable adaptor comprising means adapted for interfacing a contactless smart card with a contact smart card reader and means adapted for interfacing the contact smart card with the contactless smart card reader.
 20. A system for communicating with a contactless smart card, the system comprising: a contact smart card reader; and a portable adaptor comprising means adapted for interfacing the contactless smart card with the contact smart card reader and means adapted for interfacing a contact smart card with a contactless smart card reader. 